An actual picture of the HTC Droid Eris went live over on BGR today, and thanks to it, we can gather our first real idea of what the front of the device is going to look like.  Some first impressions were also offered up, with the tipster claiming that the Droid Eris was "faster, slightly thinner, and taller" than the Sprint HTC Hero.  Considering it's running the same Android 1.5, Sense UI, and the 528 MHz processor found in Sprint's first Android device (though Android 2.0 was announced for the Hero today via Twitter), it's interesting to hear that it's "faster."

Despite a massive amount of attention and marketing cash centered around the Motorola Droid, I can see the Droid Eris being a winner as well.  In my book, it's always a smart option to launch a high-end version of a device (complete with high-end price tag), and a mid-range variant.  I see Verizon marketing the Droid to the Android junkies and smartphone lovers, while positioning the Droid Eris as the mid-tier device for Android beginners and those concerned with price (which, frankly, who isn't these days?).

Source: BGR